It took more than 90 minutes of heads-up play and wild swings in the respective chip stacks until Angelo Hamataj was crowned ANZPT Sydney Main Event champion for 2010. It's been a final table characterised by big confrontations and dramatic hands, and that's how things finished.

In the final hand, Hamataj raised pre-flop for 230,000, Mike Ivin called and the dealer flipped 8♦9♣A♦. It was checked on the turn Q♠ and the river [10h], where Ivin bet 500,000. Hamataj announced "all-in", Ivin called and showed 7♣6♦ for a straight but Hamataj revealed J♠J♥ for the top end of the straight, and the victory. He takes home AUD $219,432 while Ivin earns $140,044 for finishing second.

2010 PokerStars.net ANZPT Sydney winner Angelo Hamataj

6.05pm: Angelo ascends

Mike Ivin made it 155,000, Angelo Hamataj called and the last two players in the ANZPT Sydney Main Event watched the flop fall a scary K♥Q♥J♥. Both checked, the turn fell [10d], Hamataj bet 500,00 and Ivin called. Another scare card, the 9♥, landed on the river. Hamataj made it 600,000, Ivin called and mucked when Hamataj showed A♣6♦ for the straight. Hamataj is back to 6.6 million, while Ivin is down to 2.3 million.

5.50pm: Hamataj hangs tough

The heads-up contest is almost into its second hour with Angelo Hamataj staging a gritty comeback over the past 20 minutes. He's marginally ahead of Mike Ivin - 4.7 million to 4.1 million - after being down to 1.7 million. Not bad for a guy playing his first major tournament.

5.35pm: Tank gets rolling

Mike "The Tank" Ivin now holds a commanding chip lead (7 million to 1.7 million) over Angelo Hamataj. There was 1.4 million in the pot when the players watched the flop fall J♣J♦K♣. Ivin checked, Hamataj bet 500,000 and Ivin called. On the turn 2♦, Ivin again checked, Hamataj bet 600,000 and Ivin called, before moving all-in after the river came J♠. Hamataj folded, with some reluctance, as Ivin scooped up more than 80 per cent of the chips in play.

5.20pm: Trips trip up Angelo

The pendulum has swayed back in the direction of Mike Ivin after he took down a massive pot. He raised to 125,000 pre-flop, Angelo Hamataj called they went to a flop of 7♦8♦K♠. Hamataj bet 150,000, Ivin called and turn fell 3♥.

Hamataj made it 200,000, Ivin popped it to 675,000, Hamataj called and the dealer showed K♥ on the river. Hamataj bet 650,000, Ivin declared all-in, Hamataj called but shipped a massive slab of chips after Ivin showed K♣4♦ for trips. Just like that Ivin is on 5.2 million while Hamataj is down to 3.6 million.

5.10pm: Pedal to the metal for Hamataj

It's the first time Angelo Hamataj has played heads-up for a major title, but you wouldn't know it. He's continued with the aggressive style that helped him reach the ANZPT Sydney main Event final table in the early stages of his battle against Mike Ivin with a mixture of big bets and all-in shoves. Ivin's stack had fallen to as low as 1.3 million but he's clawed back some ground in the past few minutes.

5pm: Ka Ming Fang eliminated in third place, AUD $77,604

After exactly four hours of play, the heads-up line-up for the PokerStars.net ANZPT Sydney Main Event has been decided - it's the livewire former Albanian Angelo Hamataj holding a 5:2 chip lead over Aussie veteran Mike Ivin.

Ka Ming Fang agonises as Angelo Hamataj celebrates another scalp

Just a couple of rounds after Michael O'Grady's elimination, Hamataj and Ka Ming Fang saw a flop of A♥J♠J♦. Fang bet 200,000, Hamataj made it 675,000, Ka pushed all-in and Hamataj called. He celebrated his J♥ [10s] with the dance with which we've become accustomed over the past four days, while Fang flipped over A♠3♣. The turn 8♥ and river [10h] confirmed Ka Ming Fang as the third-place finisher. No deal has been made between the heads-up combatants.